Eagle Scout hopeful could lose chance thanks to vandals, weather

Photo Courtesy Michael Yeoman
Michael Federoff stands next to his "Eagle's Nest" which he constructed at the DuRoss Conservatory.

ONEIDA >> Time, vandalism and flooding are some of the many obstacles that could keep an Oneida Scout from completing a longtime dream of achieving a Scout's highest honor - the Eagle Scout.

Last spring, 17-year old Michael Fedroff began working on his Eagle Scout project to construct a playground structure within the DuRoss Conservatory in Oneida's Maxwell Park. "I worked with Luke Griff with the City of Oneida Recreation Department who helped me out tremendously. Luke took care of all of the special permissions that were needed and made this part of the project easier for me," he said.

Federoff soon discovered that this part of the project would be one of the only aspects to run smoothly. "I started bringing in logs to build furniture with in April. I brought the logs down to the park to start working, and when I came back, someone had already stolen some of the logs," he said.

Then came the devastation of the floods Oneida faced following the cresting of the Oneida Creek in June. Much of the progress of clearing the area that Federoff had made was completely washed away. "The day before the flood, I spent the day clearing out the area of weeds, brush, trash, etc. Even the pathway that I had made washed away, along with all of the logs that I had cut to be used for the furniture."

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After the flood waters re-ceded, Federoff had to cut and bring down more logs for his project, "I got some volunteers to help me cut the logs into the shapes needed to build the chairs for a sitting area for the playground." To his despair, Federoff returned days later to find the chairs he had made stolen.

Federoff's father said the whole process had been very frustrating. He pointed out other signs of vandalism to his son's project including the cut wood constructed sign at the entrance way to the area. "Someone had to have tried to hang from the structure and try to pull it down." In addition, the floor decking volunteers had held the Scout construct were knocked out.

The hopeful Eagle Scout's original plans were to design a play area that could be used to entertain children who may have come to a sibling's baseball or softball game at one of Maxwell Park's various fields. "I had planned to design and build an area to give the kids that don't play baseball and their friends something to do while their siblings are playing baseball. I had planned for stepping stones made of logs and even a puppet theater," he said.

Due to the mounting obstacles Federoff has encountered with this project, his original plans have changed. Rather than a playground, it is a resting area for people who may be using the paths to sit, relax and enjoy the sights of nature. Because this is not the original project the Boy Scout Council had approved, he now has to submit paperwork to see if the current project will be approved or rejected. "The Council will give me their feedback, but whatever they come back with, any changes required would need to be completed by December," Federoff said.

According to the Boy Scouts of America, merit badges, badges of rank, and Eagle Palms may be earned by a registered Boy Scout only until his 18th birthday. Federoff turns 18 in December, so time constraints have now added to the stress the project has already caused.

While waiting for a final decision, Federoff hopes to maintain the present condition of the project as best as possible. "I am hopeful that anyone who may use the area can just keep their eyes open for any type of activity that does not seem right," he said.

While the setbacks in the project have been a disappointment, Fedroff is concerned about how these incidences may affect other Scout's endeavors to pursue their Eagle ranking. "Many of the people who have volunteered their time to help me are fellow Scouts from my troop. I am one of the first members from my troop who has tried to become an Eagle Scout in a long time. These Scouts look up to me, and soon will be thinking about working on their Eagle projects. If they see that every time I go to work it gets destroyed they are not going to want to bother, thinking it is just a hassle and not worth it."

Depending on how the events and decisions of this project unfold. Federoff now hopes to move the work done at Maxwell Field to Mount Hope. He envisions his Eagle's nest eventually overlooking the water with the log furniture assembled so that all who visit can enjoy it.